HPJ Column in response to "Hogwash" in Washington Post about farmers.
Written for High Plains Journal
The challenge on our hands
I wonder, when folks blatantly lie about such things as planet health and the
harmful effects of modern food production, if they are just ignorant or if they
allow their personal bias to cloud their view. In the case of a recent opinion piece
in the Washington Times, written by Lara Williams, I am guessing it’s a big dose of
both. I honestly struggle with my own thoughts when the notion sneaks into my
head that it’s high time some of these people starve to death because the herd
needs to be culled.
First, the most incredible part of what farming has accomplished can be seen in
simple numbers. The USDA tells us that in 1900 it required 10 acres of land to
produce enough food to feed one person for a year. In 2022, it required less than
1/3 of an acre to produce that same amount of food. We can talk about
technology all we want but the truth of the matter is that it was the use of diesel
fuel that gave that us a huge jump start.
It is reported that 1 gallon of diesel fuel replaces 500 man hours of labor in food
production. If we go back to 1900, half of the grain produced from the farm was
needed to feed the horses and the mules required to farm it. So as much as folks
want to demonize petroleum products, they have greatly improved their lives.
Of course, they will want to talk about those evil emissions in trying to convince
the world that food production is responsible for 1/3 of all greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere. They want us to believe that if we don’t change our ways, it will
be 70% by 2050. Hogwash! Basic 5 th grade science tells us that greenhouses are
where life is created and nourished. In fact, the gases in those greenhouses, such
as CO2, are used to make things grow better. So how did we allow the world to be
convinced that they were bad? Nitrous Oxide, Methane, Sulfur Oxide and CO2 are
all essential elements for plant growth and so why would we want less of them
and not more?
Milk, meat, and egg consumption are vital, not a luxury. The more animals that
inhabit earth, the more plants that are required to feed them. The more plants
we have, the healthier the environment. The more animal products the human
consumes, the healthier the human is. The data is clear: the nation’s waistline did
not grow out of control because people are eating too many eggs and bacon for
breakfast. The hogwash article also tried to claim that modern farming was
responsible for both world hunger and obesity. How exactly do you rationalize
that? Perhaps your diet is short an egg or two and a little choline would go a long
way in enhancing clearer thinking!
In this whole attempt to convince the world that population is outpacing earth’s
ability to feed itself, let’s look at some basic data the World Food Program put
forth recently. In 1920, the world’s population was 2 billion and of those, 80%
were considered food insecure. Today, we are approaching 8 billion people and
20% are food insecure. We have reached a point in time when we must roar like a
lion in the South Africa plains about the accomplishments we have made in just a
century.
The Times author also said that the modern farming system uses 70% of the
earths fresh water. While that very well may be true, we also produce 100% of
the food with that water. The whole water issue is frequently brought forth but
they fail to consider that the same amount of water exists on the planet today as
it did when Jesus walked the earth. We don’t really use up the water, we just
manage the cycle of life as God intended.
Let’s cut to the chase: these folks don’t know Jesus and reject God’s involvement.
The religion of worshipping the earth instead of the creator is the real challenge
on our hands today.